Deception: To Be Cancelled or Renewed for Season Two?

by Trevor Kimball, March 18, 2013

With Revolution taking a break, NBC decided to try a new Monday night drama, Deception. Has it been a ratings success for the network or will it end up being cancelled like so many of their other Monday night dramas?

On Deception, a wealthy party girl has been mysteriously murdered. Her childhood friend, now a San Francisco narcotics detective, is convinced by her former partner to go undercover into the wealthy world she thought she’d left behind. The cast includes Laz Alonso, Meagan Good, Victor Garber, Katherine LaNasa, Tate Donovan, Wes Brown, and Ella Rae Peck.

The series debuted in January to a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 5.66 million total viewers. Those were hardly impressive numbers and were less than half of what Revolution’s premiere drew a few months earlier. Year-to-year however, it was a big improvement over the ratings NBC was getting for Rock Center with Brian Williams.

In week two, Deception’s ratings dropped more than 20% to a 1.6 demo rating and 4.14 million. That was not positive — and the ratings kept falling. As we now near the end of Deception’s11 episode run, the ratings seem to have stabilized at a 1.1 demo rating with about 3.3 million viewers.

Those numbers are terrible and certainly there’s no ratings justification for NBC to renew Deception for a second season. They cancelled shows like Chase and The Playboy Club and they had better numbers than Deception.

On the positive side, at least NBC aired all of the episodes. Unfortunately, viewers are unlikely to ever get their storyline questions answered.

But, what do you think? Should NBC stick with Deception and give it another shot next year or should they cancel it instead? Why do you think it didn’t catch on with a bigger audience?

I schedule my Monday evenings around this show and I find it very interesting. The story is full of twists that keep me wondering what will happen next. I really want to see this story wrap up so please have another season.

I watch this show on Hulu the next day, please dont cancel! At least finish out this season. I don’t get to see any of my shows until my kids are in bed and my homework is done. I rely on Hulu for that, and I love getting to see allmy shows is in three magical hours. Deception, modern family, new girl, and ***** kitchen. PLEASE DONT CANCEL!

PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL DECEPTION…. I love this show… I hop into Bowers mode every Monday night… I look soo forward to it… Please give it another chance. There are alot of other shows that shouldn’t even be on tv bc they have no potential what so ever and Deception gets bad wraps for WHAT!!!!

Really hoping this show is renewed. I understand the comparison to Revenge, but it is different and with different dynamics. The surface of the show has only been scratched, and so many of us are itching for a second season! I never watch tv when it’s on, I watch it on Hulu Plus when I have time. Please don’t cancel the show. If NBC cancels, I hope another network picks it up. I love it!